Spooling device for wire



Dec. 22, 1942.

J. K. DELANO SPOOLING DEVICE FOR WIRE Filed Oct; 11, 1940 4 James Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR ff. De/an Dec. 22, 1942.

SPOOLfNG DEVICE FOR WIRE Filed-Oct. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR. -James A. fie/ana ATTORNEYS J. K. DELANO 2,306,045

Dec. 22, 1942. J. K. DELANO SPOOLING DEVICE FOR WIRE Filed 001:. '11, 1940' 4 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. James ff. 06/0/10 ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, l942.- K, DELANO SPQOLING DEVICE FOR WIRE 4 Sheets-Shet 4 l Filed Oct. 11, 1940 Jas /l INVENTOR fle/m'm A 7' TOR/V5715 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 OFFICE SPOOLING nnvron Fort wmr:

James K. Delano, Rye, N. Y., assignor to Delano Patents Company, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,754 1 Claim. (01. 242-25) This invention relates to a method and means for processing wire, particularly fine wire such as is used for the manufacture of transformers and other electrical instruments.

In applicants application Serial No. 360,755, entitled. Supply spool feed, filed on even date herewith, there is described apparatus adapted to feed wire from. a spool under controlled tension to a train of apparatus. The present invention is adapted to draw the wire from the feed spool through the said train of apparatus and to wind it on a take-up spool, and for other purposes.

The objects of the invention include the following: 4

To drive the take-up spool by means, preferably magnetic, which automatically compensates for the increased speed of the wire on the periphery of the take-up spool as the effective diameter of the spool is layers of wire thereon and automatically maintains the tension of said wire substantially constant or within narrow limits. To feed the wire from a capstan to the takeup spool in the form of a loop the length of'which varies in consonance with minor variations in the tension on said loop.

To control the tension of the wire of said loop between predetermined limits.

To set a predetermined upper limit on the tension of the wire on the loop between'the capstan and take-up spool by means cooperating with said magnetic means.

To provide a capstan for applying the tension necessary to draw wire through a train of apparatus, said capstan cooperating with a take-up spool in such a manner as to feed wire from the increased by the winding of successive capstan to the take-up spool continuously under controlled tension.

In general it is an object of the invention to draw wire through a train of apparatus under uniform and controlled tension, and a further general object to wind the wire so drawn, on a take-up spool under tension. controlled between predetermined limits to provide for satisfactory continuous operation without snarling or breakage of the said wire. I

It is a further object to solve the problem of annealing and coating fine wire in a suitable train of apparatus, and to wind the processed wire on a spool, continuously and successfully, without snarling or breakage.

Other objects will appear from'the description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, show apparatus which may be employed in practicing the invention, said apparatus illustrating one embodiment of the principles of the invention, Wh ch principles will be defined in the claim ultimately appended hereto.

Fi 1 shows a front elevation partly in section on the line ll of Fig. 3;

,Fig. 2 is an elevation partlyinv section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 shows an end elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic representations of the stator and rotor, respectively, of the magnetic drive for the spindle which supports the take-up spool.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit supplying current to the stator of the magnetic drive for the take-up spool, and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic explanatory view.

The capstan I is rotatably mounted on the shaft 2 driven by the sprocket gear 3. The takeup spool 4.is rotatably mounted on spindles one of which, 5, is directlyconnected to the rotor 6 mounted on the shaft 1. The rotor 6 is driven by a rotatably mounted stator 8 journaled in the bearings 9 provided with roller bearings Ill. The rotor 6 ls journaled in bearings 26'carried by flanges 21 on the stator 8, said bearings 26 being I provided with ball bearings, as shown. The stator 8 is driven by the shaft I5 whichin turn is driven by the sprocket gear l6. Another sprocket gear I! drives the rotatably mounted carrier arm I. The sprocket gears 16 and I! are preferably driven by a common chain drive operated by a motor, not shown. A travelling bar 20 supports a depending bracket 2| on which is rotatably mounted a guide pulley 22. At the other endof the travelling bar, the latter carries a bracket 23 on which is rotatably mounted a second guide pulley 24. To the bracket 2| there is connected by the bar a third bracket 25. The upper portion of this third bracket 25 carries a bushing slidably mounted on a guide bar 36. The lower portion of said bracket 25 carries an internally threaded bushing 31 cooperating with the threaded carrier bar 38. Intermediate the upper slidably mounted bushing 35 and the lower threaded bushing 31 the said bracket carries a third bushing 39 slidably mounted on a guide bar 40 which operates the shifting fork as hereinafter more specifically described. v

To the lower portion of the bracket 25 there is connected a horizontally extending arm 5| constituting a carriage on which a guide pulley 52 is rotatably mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to he axes of the capstan and the take- '55 and, as shown,

. 19 rotatably mounted on a pin When the said contacts II are up 5 l. i The said guide pulley 52 is provided with two grooves, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. On .the said carriage 5| there is also pivotally mounted a rocker arm 53 adapted for oscillation in a plane transverse to the axes of the capstan and take-up spool. At the end of said rocker arm there is a tension pulley 54 rotatably mounted for rotation in a. plane transverse to the axes of the capstan and take-up spool.

In the operation of the apparatus wire is drawnfrom a train of processingapparatus over the guide pulleys 24 and 22 to the capstan I. The said wire then makes a single pass around the capstan, then passes around one of the grooves of the guide pulley 52 on the carriage 5|, then returns to the capstan and makes another pass around it, then passes over the other groove of the guide pulley 52 on the carriage, then passes around the tension pulley 54 and from there is delivered to the take-up spool 4 for the purpose of being wound thereon.

Turning now to the magnetic drive shown in detail in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the stator 8 is journaled in the bearings 9 (provided with ball bearings, as shown) and contained within a housing is provided with fourpole pieces 56 and corresponding field windings 51 the terminals of which are connected, respectively, to two collector rings 58, 59 suitably insulated from each other and from the stator housing, as shown in Fig. 2'. Brushes 60, 10 are adapted to supply direct current to the collector rings and field windings by a circuit diagrammatically shown'in Fig. 6. This circuit includes the spring contacts II in a housing 12 connected to the bracket 25. Lead wires 13 pass from said housing and spring contacts, a suflicient length thereof being provided to allow for the movement of said housing as it travels back and forth with the bracket 25. The said circuit also includes a shunt resistance 14 for a-purpose to be presently described, and a variable series resistance 15.

A spring 15 connects selected points of one end 53A of the rocker arm 53 with a bracket II depending from the carriage 5|. A rod 18 connects the same end 15 of the rocker arm 53 to a detent 80, the adjustments of these elements being such as to break the electrical contacts when the lower end 99 of the rocker arm 53 has oscillated through an arc to a predetermined extent, counter-clockwise. broken, the shunt resistance 14 is thrown into the circuit to decrease the strength of the field windings 5'! of the stator 8 and thereby reduce the speed of rotatlon of the rotor 5, the spindle 5 and th takeup spool 4. This is -a safety device to prevent the tension on the wire from ever exceeding a safe maximum.

As previously and as hereinafter more fully described, the invention provides for even distribution of the wire 'over the take-up spool during the winding up process.

As the wire is wound on the take-up spool 4 the effective diameter of the take-up spool and the wire thereon progressively increases whereas the diameter of the capstan l of course remains the speed of constant. Unless compensated for, the wire on the periphery of the take-up spool would therefore exceed the speed at which it is delivered from the capstan andrupture would quickly occur. In the present invention this compensation is provided for by themagnetic drive and the automatic slippage or lost motion between the stator 8 and rotor 5, which makes it possible to maintain the tension on the wire between the capstan l and the take-up spool 4 within predetermined narrow limits or substan tially constant. In other words, the tendency for increase in the peripheral speed of the wire on the take-up spool is compensated for by a decrease in the angular speed of the rotor 6 and spool-carrying spindle 5 driven Increases in tension on the wire periphery of the take-up spool are transmitted to the rotor and cause the angular speed thereof to progressivelydecrease below that of the stator, i. e., cause progressively increasing diflerences in speed between the stator and rotor. This eflect is enhanced because of the leverage action.

Torque is transmitted to the rotor 5 from any given point occupied by the wire on the periphery of the take-up sp'ool 4 by what amounts to a lever fulcrumed at the axis of the rotor 5 and the spindle 5 driven thereby. The point of application of theforce to this lever is at the periphery P of the wire on the take-up spool 4 (see Fig. 7). The fulcrum F is at the axis of the spindle 5 and the opposing force at the periphery PI of said spindle 5. Consequently the long arm L of this lever continually the short arm S as wire is the take-up spool and the progressively wound on eflectiveness of tension applied to said wire is enhanced as the effective diameter of the take-up spool wound thereon is progressively increased, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. '7.

The rotor does not however slow down enough to cause undue slackness (or decrease in the tension of the. wire below the desired minimum) because as the difference in speed between rotorand stator increases, the induced energy in. the rotor increases.

The tension on the wire up spool is therefore maintained substantially constant or within narrow limits.

As shown, wire is delivered from the capstan I (and guide pulley 52) to the take-up spool 4 in the form of a loop 9| passing around the tension pulley 54. creased or decreased within limits predetermined by the resiliency of the spring 15, the leverage action of said spring I5 on the rocker arm 53 and the rod I9 which acts to automatically decrease the speed of the rotor 5 by throwing additional resistance 14 into series with the field windings of the stator 9 at a predetermined limit of the arc traversed counter-clockwise by the lower end 90 of the rocker arm 53 in a plane transverse to the axes of the capstan l and take-up spool 4. As already stated, this is a safety device not normally brought into action because the magnetic drive normally maintains substantially constant, or within narrow limits, the tension on the wire.

The invention may also include suitable means to distribute the wire evenly on the take-up spool as it is being delivered thereto from the capstan. and this means will now be more specifically illustrated.

As previously mentioned, the sprocket gear ll drives a worm 92 which in turn drives a worm wheel 99 mounted on one end of the vertical zontal axis. The portion of the carrier arm between the bevel gears 99, 99 is square and on this by said rotor 5.

increases in relation to delivered to the take- The length of this loop 9| mum in--- portion there is slidably mounted a clutch memand clockwise, respectively, and thereby causes translatory movement of the bracket 25, travelling bar 20 and guide pulleys 22 and 24 alternately in one direction and the other between limits determined by the times at which the said clutch I is respectively engaged with one or the other of said bevel gears 98, 99. This determined by bushings or shoes H0, lli adjustably fixed to the guide bar 40 at any desired points thereon. -As the bracket 25 moves to the right it engages by means of an adjustable screw N2, the bushing or shoe I I0 and moves the shifting fork 50 carried by said guide bar 40 to the position shown in Fig.2 against the resistance .of spring actuated pin H3 which is thereby caused to ride upwardly out of the notch I I4 and up to. surface between said notches I M.

the horizontal and H5. As soon as this happens the spring H5 carried by the shoe H0, which spring H6 has been compressed by engagement with the screw H2, causes the spring actuated pin H3 to snap down into the notch H5 as shown in Fig. 2, thus causing substantially instantaneous engagement of the clutch I00 with the bevel gear 99 by the action of the shifting fork 50. Thesaid shifting fork 50 may, as shown, be mounted on the guide bar 40 and held in position thereon by heavy springs l I! compressed by collars H8 adjustably fixed to the guide bar byscrews, as shown. Similar action in a reverse direction occurs when the bracket 25 engages the bushing III or shoe at the other or left end of the guide bar 40. The setting of these bushings or shoes 0, III determines the extent of longitudinal movement of the bracket 25 and the distribution of the wire on the take-up spool 4 and the said shoes are therefore adapted to be adjusted at any desired points along the guide bar.

In order to accommodate take-up spools ofdifl'erent sizes a depending bracket H9 carrying an adjustable spindle bearing I20 is provided. The said depending bracket 9 has a portion extending through the horizontal support member IZI, and provided at the end with a threaded portion I30 with which a lock nut I3l cooperates. The said support member time is I21 is suitabb' slotted I delivered from the capstan,

3 to provide for adjustment of the depending bracket 8 at selected horizontal positions.

The upright members provide adequate support for the various'parts of the apparatus including the horizontal support, member IZI, and are connected as shown.

, The lost motion means may comprise a fluid connection between the stator and rotor to provide the necessary slippage to progressively decrease" the speed of the spindle and rotor and maintain the tension on the wire substantially I constant.

The preferred species of fluid is however'the capstan and spool rotate, respectively, being parallel, means intermediate the capstan and takeup spool to guide the wire from the capstan to the take-up spool in the form of a loop and to vary the length of wire of said loop between predetermined limits of tension, said means including a guide pulley and a tension pulley rotatably mounted for rotation about axes parallel to the axes of the capstan and spindle, said tension pulley being also mounted to oscillate in a plane transverse to the axes of the capstan and spindle, the guide pulley and tension pulley being mounted on a carriage; means to give said carriage a translatory and reciprocating movement in a plane substantially parallel to and intermediate between the axes of the capstan and spool-carryingspindle, to distribute the wire evenly upon said spool; and magnetic means to substantially equalize the speed at which the wire is wound on the spool and the speed at which said wire is said means comprising a rotor connected to and adapted to drive said spindle, said rotor having a plurality of short circuited turns thereon, a rotatably mounted stator provided with drive said stator and. capstan, and means to sup- JAMES R. DELANO.

field windings, means to 

